What began as a weight loss journey evolved into a realistic way of looking at food, nutrition and life itself. The number on the scale has become less and less important, and the practice of eating real, honest food has taken it's place

Monday, October 26, 2009

Day one on the road to joy

Yesterday began the week of doing nothing different or weight loss but incorporating more joy into our lives. Hubby unexpectedly had to sing at all three services at church A, so it left a lot of time for me to follow my own bliss. Son and I watched some TV ( Food network , and a discussion happened about Sondra Lee) , and then I was able to sit down and devote a full HOUR to playing my guitar . I think only the musicians reading my blog will understand how relaxing and soul satisfying playing your instrument for the sake of playing it is. Afterwords I was relaxed and renewed. When hubby got back home we grabbed lunch and then headed out to the woods for a walk. The colors were at peak, and I was sorry i did not grab my camera ! The last hold outs on the color change parade have joined in the show at last, and one stiff breeze is going to clear the slate for the winter . Seems a lot of others had the same goal this day, and we had to keep getting off the road to allow cars to pass and not get run over ! Meanwhile my son discovered the fun of kicking up the leaves and making piles of them with his feet. Watching him reminded me of some of the antics of my childhood in the fall. I grew up in an inner suburb of Chicago and there were many elms and other trees. We would rake the leaves into piles and then jump into them several times before raking them to the curb where the street sweeper came along to haul them away. I loved doing that, and I remember spending hours doing so and coming home with crushed leaves matted in my hair. Autumn leaves have always had a pleasantly acrid smell to me. The scent reminds me of life and death combined for some reason.

In the evening we played Tribond while listening to a station that plays 70's music. I think the best thing about playing Tribond as a family is that if shows me just how much my son is absorbing and retaining in our homeschool adventures. A person may be able to answer a question about the material on a test within days of being presented it, but proof that it has absorbed comes when they are called upon to recall details months after the presentation in some kind of real life situation. Board games can help stress caused by wondering if they are retaining anything go way, way down !

After that we wound up watching youtube videos about Dios De Los Muertos- The Day of the Dead. We are a mixed faith household, and my faith has a similar tradition that falls on November 1. Because of this, we have discussed this holiday several times in our homeschool and I incorporate some of the crafts and so forth in my celebration with the family. Hubby appreciates these, but has never been edcucated on the meaning behind them- especially the happy skeletons positioned in assorted life situations ( as mechanics, as a bride and groom and so forth). As we watched the videos I got to explain to him that the skeletons are positioned in these roles because it affirms that death is simply a part of life, nothing to fear and that the dead are still amongst us. The colors are used to show that there is life in death. The altars to the dead are about affirming the life of your ancestors, saying that you miss them and you welcome them back for the day to celebrate one more time. It is not something he could have understood or appreciated when he was younger, but as an adult in ministry who does numerous funerals and has spent a lot of time with me and my relationship to death ( or should I say veiwpoint), he truly understands. And he also completely understands how the modern american expression of Halloween is insulting to not only the memory of the deceased, but to life itself. Always a good and relaxing thing when those you love not only accept your spiritual veiwpoints, but understand .

Today after our morning workout , first order of school is to paint this years sugar skulls. Always a fun time in this house, and fun brings joy which defeats stress.

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Who are we ?

a 50 something mom with PCOS, somewhere in the sea of menopause who home schools , drug her family along on a weight loss journey and learned some important truths . Like so many other roadways, this one is also constantly under construction or dealing with potholes. The road is life itself, and is never a boring journey